In this paper, we present a new, easy-to-generate system that is capable of creating virtual 3D tree models and simulating a variety of growth processes of a tree from a single, real tree image. We not only construct various tree models with the same trunk through our proposed digital image matting method and skeleton-based abstraction of branches, but we also animate the visual growth of the constructed 3D tree model through usage of the branch age information combined with a scaling factor. To control the simulation of a tree growth process, we consider tree-growing attributes, such as branching orders, branch width, tree size, and branch self-bending effect, at the same time. Other invisible branches and leaves are automatically attached to the tree by employing parametric branch libraries under the conventional procedural assumption of structure having a local self-similarity. Simulations with a real image confirm that our system makes it possible to achieve realistic tree models and growth processes with ease.